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Completed quilt

My least favorite thing about quilting is sewing the rows. Not sure why. I really like these 16 patches and have several left over for matching pillowcases. Sewing the main rows I took my time. Thank goodness triangles were oversized so made sewing and trimming easier. I had just enough white on white fabric and while I was going to make sashing strips green I did not have enough material, so back up was this tan color which I prefer.

Now this quilt started out with a burgundy floral material with coordinating fabrics, soon turned into more of a Christmas quilt which will go on my AZ bed, hopefully by next Christmas. I will begin handquilting when I return from winter in AZ. (unless I can sneak it into the car), but probably not as we usually have a packed car going down despite all our clothes being down there. We have some things set aside that have waited 2 yrs now. A few Christmas items coming down as we think we will always spend Christmas down there.

Fish Fry today..celebrating my Dad’s 82 birthday and spouse is helping with raking leaves. Something I cannot do this year. Each day is better for me. Just having a hard time falling asleep. Then I tend to sleep later.

It has been quite some time since entering a quilt into the fair. This year I decided to enter 5 quilts. Here they are and the results.

The pieces of this table topper were from cut of triangles from a quilt quilt raffle quilt. This is hand pieced and hand quilted. I actually hand pieced this on a return trip from AZ last year. I loved these batiks.

This is my zoo quilt for charity. I loved this simple pattern and the fabrics. I wanted to try this type of machine quilting, not happy with it, but did learn a lot. It stretched quite a bit despite pinning it. I have a small throat on my machine that makes quilting challenging. Perfect size for a child.

This I call my Downton Abby quilt. Material is a jelly roll of Countess Dagner and pattern is the jelly roll race I think #2 by Missouri Quilts. Hand quilted with Baptist Fan.

Next up is my Chinese Coins pattern quilt. Only quilted the border as too thick with folding of fabric in main hanging.

I may have posted these before but here is Cherith’s quilt. It was a contender for grand Champion, was beat out by a quilt guild quilt. I was told the judge was so impressed with this quilt on many levels.

Hand quilted

Variegated thread

Scallops

So many pieces…size

Most important was the different fabrics in a color (scrap) and then when standing back noticing just one color. Had to look at this several times. (Well this is a Bonnie Hunter thing)

So I am working hard on this 365 day Challenge quilt. I have had these blocks done, but needed to sew them into rows. I put this quilt away for a year. This is the second border. Next will be to sew 6 inch light blocks together for the final border. This is hand pieced.

Now for another update. My sciatica pain has returned. So I was painfree for about 4 weeks allowing me to enjoy summer. After much thought, being unable to once again climb stairs and more pain in evening I will be having lumbar fusion surgery with cyst removal. Repeat MRI last Friday shows that the cyst has returned. Surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday at 2pm. Hospital stay 1-4 days. No bending, twisting of lifting for 2-3 months. Sitting limited. Walking and lying will be my exercise program. Fusion involves a bone graft that needs to set. Once set then restrictions are removed my restrictions are lifted and PT to build up core and back begins. A total of 6-9 months for recovery. Currently trying to get my quilting projects at a point that they can be paused. I have 3 quilts that just need hand binding which I like to do if I need some diversion. Also the above 356 quilt to work on. I am going to sandwich 2 quilts should I want to do hand quilting. I can sew standing up but really would have to watch the twisting aspect. Today plan to pack up my quilting stuff for AZ as my husband could not do that…would be funny him doing it :). I have an excellent neurosurgeon and am very hopeful of an excellent outcome. Thoughts and prayers from you all would be great. I feel physically and mentally I am ready! My faith will also be a great support!

I guess I have been quiet. But I have been quilting. I am currently sewing the binding to my final finished quilt for the fair in a few weeks. Will post that in a few days.

First up is my Bahama straits quilt. I love the colors and I think I will plan to hand quilt this one. At present I have no hand quilting project. This quilt is based on Bonnie Hunters block – Straits of Mackinac. A very time consuming block with lots of matching. I did 9 blocks…plenty.

I thought the above was a neat pattern I decided to do a charity quilt with bright colors. Today finished the two borders, but thinking about maybe adding some solid borders, but will wait until I return to AZ to raid the quilters stash.

Next up is some fabric, not loved by the AZ quilters so I got it and then picked up some precut 1.25 strips that were flannel at a resale shop and put this together. Again I don’t have much for backing so this also is headed to AZ. This one was kind of fun to do. Made up the pattern as I went along.

Next up is another charity quilt. I ran across a bear quilt with the pillow on top and thought it was so cute. I love doing four patches and loved the bear material and the soft peach color material. This is a made up pattern. Material from AZ quilters stash. This one I am thinking maybe another side border. Will get packed to travel to AZ.

I have another blue/green baby quilt that is waiting for some secondary blocks to make, just have not decided on the block. I have some additional fabric scraps for something and a lady bug material for a quilt. Not sure if I will get to that.

Just finished doing match stick quilting on my zoo quilt. NEVER again. Too labor intensive. Nice effect when done. I have about 3-4 quilts to machine quilt. So thinking I will stop composing quilts. I am working on QAL “Rest and Frefreshing” that has about three more blocks to go the all the side blocks. I will try to keep up with that one. This week as I do not have any hand quilting projects, got out my “365 day quilt blocks”, and noticed I am missing 3 6″ dark blocks. So currently sewing the second dark border blocks and then the 6″ light blocks. Maybe I can get this put together prior to travels to AZ and maybe hand quilt that monster. It already is a heavy quilt, I am thinking maybe quilt between the blocks. Might be a good project for AZ nights. I do have my finished Bonnie Hunter quilt mystery from last year down in AZ. But would like to do this one first. Would be a great fair entry if I can get it done for next year.

Another finished project is the quilt mystery for the Sunflower quilters. I finished the quilting and just have to put on the binding. I think I will post this mystery on here as I release it to the quilters. It was fun to do and is not very complicated. Stay tuned!

Health issues…we’ll I am doing ok. Added three more PT visits. I guess I have a weak gluteal muscle that is causing some discomfort. Some exercises made it worse so had to back off. I am also thinking that my cortisone injection has now worn off and maybe I am feeling more arthritis pain, although this seems muscular. Hubby came down with a terrible headcold and chest congestion that has progress to GI symptoms. Well thinking about it more, we are thinking it could be the condo and possible mold issues with all the humidity issues this past spring. We are going to have duct working put in attic and fill current vents with cement this fall while we take a fall trip to Nashville TN. Currently getting bids. Sure had limited his activity in recent weeks and has lost some weight.

Well this is long enough….Packer Family night is on TV soon, preseason practice with 70,000 people watching at Lambau field. Is the only chance for people to see them live and in the stadium as regular season games are sold out and expensive.

Community summer events are so fun! The Sunday before last we went to the Marquette county fair to watch Harness horse racing. Now we did not know a thing about this but it apparently is quite popular. The lions club sold betting tickets and many hand fun with that. We are not gamblers so we just enjoyed the race.

The beginning of each race was announced…just like at Churchill downs I guess.

Some races were close.

Sponsors got their pictures taken with winning horse.

It was a lot of fun watching the races.

Next up we went to Eldorado community picnic. This was about an hour east of us. We wentfor the food and entertainment with was “The Del Rays” a group from Oshkosh. They were very good a nice change from the usual groups we see. This place was packed and the weather was great!

I finished up “My Straits of Caribbean”. I changed the border from scrap neutrals to a aqua print. These 9 blocks were enough for me, cannot imagine a whole quilt…but I guess I do do Bonnie’s mysteries. I may save this for hand quilting during our fall trip.

Next few weeks going to focus on some machine quilting. One quilt will be in a fair and others just need to get quilted. I think I have had my fix for sewing blocks for a bit.

Daughter Cherith passed her NCLEX exam last week so officially a RN. Today was her first day of orientation. We plan on seeing her and her apartment next week when we drop off a few things she has in storage in our garage.

Saturday we took a lovey ride to look at a log cabin with a wonderful view. The view indeed was breath taking, but we felt a little isolated. I worry that my spouse will not have enough to do. Also the price of cabin for only living ther for 6 months did not make much sense. I think we will probably put condo up on market next year when we return and may look at apartment living. Not sure he will like that either, but he can be a restless soul. We still would like to be close to family.

Today added a little hill to my walk, went ok. Humid next few days so I do not do walking. Will probably do some pool exercises.

Back to my love of quilting. I have finally caught up on the Rest and Refreshing BOW. I chose one focus fabric I liked and used some greens and neutrals. Husband thinks it is a Christmas quilt. I guess that is ok. I have been using my Bonnie Hunter essential triangle ruler and makes things so easy.

Then today I finished up machine quilting a charity quilt. Was able to sew outdoors today, sunny and just right temperature.

Used up some of the Sunflower Quilter’s scraps.

Started machine quilting the next charity quilt that I designed on patternjam. Got it half quilted and then decided to stop for the day.

I am pacing myself and have continued my 3 walks a day. Today did total of 1.3 miles. PT visit tomorrow for exercises and strech recommendations.

This is charity quilt #4. The sunflower quilters had several yards of this material, so being from WI I grabbed it. The back is exactly the same and I have another identical one. While I had great thoughts of detailed machine quilting, I have a very basic Brother machine with a small throats that makes it too difficult. I will stick with straight line walking foot quilting. It really is a bright cheerful quilt for some child.

So after completing this today I started on the next quilt, pattern designed on Patternjam. Above are the first 20 blocks that are 4.5 unfinished. I did get Bonnie Hunters new essential triangle tool so will try that out on some of the next 1/2 square triangle blocks. This may be a larger quilt but I had started cutting the fabric in AZ. This quilt will have several different blocks. I have lots of fabric stash to play with so it should be fun. We continue our cool wet weather here, so good for sewing.

Today I would have gotten my injection, but decided I wanted a second opinion and today got a call back for an appointment June 19th. I really don’t want to spend money if there might be a possibility it will not work. This second opinion is a spine specialist so would be more likely to follow his recommendation. Pain is tolerable, I just have to watch what I do, space things out and quilting provides great distraction.

Yesterday and today I worked on a project that was a recent gift from my mom. She got me into quilting, but currently does more rug hooking. Would like to alternate some of my projects. I love the colors and use of some batik fabrics. It actually has lot of folded pieces and when sewing the block it becomes quite thick. Today I finished up piecing the back with the left over pieces in the kit.

Close up of the folding, sewing of the blocks. Pretty fun to do.

Not sure how I will quilt this one as the middle is quite thick, also very pretty. May just do quilting on the borders. Will have to look at it and marinated it in my thoughts.

In Arizona we learned how to quilt as you go and I finished putting on the binding for this. These are string paper pieced Blocks with some machine quilting stitches and some hand Quilting. Finally a charity quilt. I have two exactly the same pinned and ready to machine quilt. This summer I want to play around with machine quilting and various quilting patterns. I ran across and excelled blog that does this and I am going to try it out. Machine quilting tips

I am mostly a hand quilter so want to explore this area more. So got the walking foot on the machine and today had enough time to just go around one block. I think if I try to do a block a day ( or so) it is not as overwhelming and a bit easier on the back. Currently I am sitting while sewing. I am used to standing for sewing. Hopefully once I get the injection I can return to this position. Pinning and in pinning I was sitting on the balance ball. Today I actually walked around the grocery store with spouse and it was not too bad. I just want to make it thru this weekend’s pinning ceremony and graduation. Did not sleep well last night, storms and just a bit uncomfortable. Looks like a cool and wet week ahead…..perfect for sewing/Quilting. Resting in chair I continue to design quilts via patternjam. So addictive!

I am a wife and mom of 3 children. I have been married for 22 years to the best husband ever! I have many interests and love to share them with others. When I come across exciting products or sites I like to pass on the fun! I enjoy digital scrapbooking, photography, Photoshop,, illustrator, knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting, reading, cookie & cake decorating and just plain crafting. Welcome to my site! I hope you find something you like.